The Alberta Federation of Labour unequivocally condemns all violent acts against our Muslim brothers and sisters. We believe that the union saying ‘an injury to one is an injury to all’ is true across creed, colour, gender, nationality and class.

We grieve for those who were slain at the Cultural Centre of Quebec’s Grand Mosque on Sunday. And we recommit ourselves to opposing intolerance and bigotry.

The victims were targeted at the time of their evening prayers in a building that was a refuge and a place of faith for them. The victims were targeted solely because of their Islamic faith.

This attack fits into a pattern of attacks against our Muslim brothers and sisters. According to Statistics Canada, the number of police-reported hate crimes targeting Muslim-Canadians more than doubled over the past three years.

Canadians of all faiths and political stripes cannot stand idly by. We cannot blame this on the United States. We are not free of hatred in this country and, while events happening around the world may fuel the fire, the fire had to be ignited in the first place.

We need to act now; in our own communities, our own families, it isn’t enough not to actively participate in Islamophobia, we must confront it and challenge the beliefs that lead to attacks like the one in Quebec City.

Tonight, representatives of the Alberta Federation of Labour will be participating in vigils organized in Calgary and in Edmonton by the Alberta Muslim Public Affairs Council, honouring the lives of the victims and calling for peace and understanding.

On behalf of the AFL’s 170,000 members, we extend our deepest condolences to the families of those killed in this attack, and our sympathy with those injured.